Anthony Davis made a strong debut with the Mavericks, less than five minutes into the game, by dunking his own missed shot, pointing to the cheering crowd, and shouting, “I’m here!”
The 10-time All-Star didn’t finish the 116-105 win over the Houston Rockets because of an injury, adding more frustration for fans upset about the huge trade that sent 25-year-old franchise star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Fans in Dallas were still in shock over losing a player they believed would stay with the team his whole career. General manager Nico Harrison faced criticism for trading a young superstar in his prime, just eight months after a run to the NBA Finals, for a 31-year-old with a history of injuries.
Davis assured fans not to worry, explaining that he left the game late in the third quarter during Dallas’ first home game since the trade due to tightness near his groin and quadriceps. He didn’t return to the game.
Before the trade, Davis had missed his last two games with the Lakers due to an abdominal strain and could not play in the first two games with the Mavericks either.
“It wouldn’t loosen up and let go,” Davis said. “But it’s nothing serious.”
Before the game, fans outside American Airlines Center, many wearing Doncic’s familiar No. 77 jersey, were still processing the shock and sadness of losing Doncic, protesting with signs and chants, mostly aimed at Harrison.
“It’s going to take time,” Davis said. “It’s still fresh like a divorce — on both sides. Not saying it’s going to go away in one day.”
Many fans who were protesting made it inside the arena for the game. Center Daniel Gafford mentioned, “Seeing a lot of 77s in the stands, it kinda hits hard. It’s like we always say, it’s a business. We’ve got to get used to it.”
Protesters cheered as a cargo van with an electronic sign reading “Inside Traitor” and a picture of Harrison passed by, along with a pickup truck with a sign in the bed that said, “Fire Nico. Sell the team.”
Anthony Davis leaves the game in the 3rd quarterOwner Angership
The anger was also directed at the new ownership group, which bought the Mavericks from Mark Cuban in December 2023. The Las Vegas-based Adelson and Dumont families now run the team, and Patrick Dumont replaced Cuban as the team’s governor, making the final call on the Doncic-Davis trade.
Many fans expressed concern that the trade was part of a plan to move the franchise to Las Vegas.
Fans were also upset because of the legacy of retired Dallas superstar Dirk Nowitzki, who spent 21 seasons with the Mavericks, leading them to their only title in 2011. He overlapped with Doncic for one season before stepping aside for the next young European star. Many fans thought Doncic’s career would follow a similar path to Nowitzki’s and are blaming the ownership change for the sudden move.
“They’re not from Dallas,” said Diana Milan of Dallas, a season ticket holder for more than 25 years. “They don’t know the Mavericks fans. They don’t know how beloved Dirk was and then Luka was. We just feel like they’re outsiders (who) came in and ripped that all away from us.”
Heartbreak via Harrison
The Adelson and Dumont families have faced less backlash than Nico Harrison, who has been the target of several harsh chants during the protest on Saturday. Harrison hasn’t been seen publicly since answering reporters’ questions before a game in Cleveland on a five-game road trip.
Harrison missed Davis’ introductory press conference in Dallas on Friday and wasn’t sitting in his usual seat a few rows from courtside opposite the Mavs’ bench during the Rockets game.
“I think he broke our fan base’s heart, and so I think he needs to do something about that,” said Brian Craft, a 48-year-old lifelong Mavs fan who lives 25 miles from Dallas but has a condo near the arena. He hung a banner from his balcony that read “Luka” with a broken heart.
Anthony Davis responds to a question in the news conference“Even an old-fashioned apology probably goes a long way in a lot of these things,” Craft said. “But let the fan base know that you hear them and that, yes, you made what you thought was a technically sound, good decision, but you probably overlooked the human aspect of it.”
Davis’ impressive debut was exactly what Dallas coach Jason Kidd expected, though it was a strange day for him. Kidd had been part of one of the other big trades in franchise history when the Mavs sent him to Phoenix 2 1/2 years after drafting him second overall in 1994.
“It was weird. It is weird,” Kidd said. “Everybody wants to talk about the trade. Yeah, it’s different. We keep pushing forward. It was there, but understanding that the business of basketball happens.”
Sad Euro Fan
Mirsad Grabus understands, but it hasn’t made it any easier for the native of Bosnia who has lived in Kentucky for 25 years. Grabus received a Doncic jersey from his son for his 60th birthday, which he celebrated earlier this month with a Mavs birthday cake.
Grabus became a Mavs fan when Doncic, from Slovenia, was drafted. They had been planning to see him play live for the first time in Dallas for a month. The trade happened five days before the Houston game, but they decided to make the trip anyway.
“It’s like I lost a kid,” Grabus said. “Wherever he goes, I go, too. It’s sad to say now I’m now a Lakers fan.”
That might be a bit extreme for the local fans, even with the emotions still running high.
